A Game of Titans
by hoobab
Summary: While chasing after the Female Titan, the Survey Corps stumble onto a world of lies and treachery, of wars and games, of dragons and whitewalkers. The land of Westeros. But that's not the only thing they have to worry about. Humanity's greatest foe may have also entered the land in which winter is coming. How will Westeros and the Survey Corps deal with Titans and the Others?
1. Chapter 1: Snowfall

Chapter 1: Snowfall

* * *

 **Erwin**

In thirty seconds, the gates of Karanes would open, and the 57th Expedition Beyond the Wall would commence. Erwin clutched the reins of his horse a little tighter and prepared for the moment when the heavy iron portcullis finished rising. With a screech, the gate clanged to a stop.

It seemed at that moment everyone held their breaths, especially the recruits from the 104th Training Corp. The outside was peaceful. The sun shined brightly, and birds chirped cheerfully. It would have made a relaxing scene except for the fact that the buildings were in disrepair and empty, a ghost town.

"ADVANCE!" Erwin Smith, commander of the Survey Corps, shouted at the empty town, his bushy eyebrows furrowing together. A war cry followed, mingling with the loud clobber of the horses galloping on the cobblestoned road. The 57th Expedition had begun.

The rhythmic thuds slowly calmed Erwin as they finally exited the small ghost town. From there, he gave the shout to form the Long-Distance Enemy Scouting Formation. Immediately, the column efficiently spread out across the green, flat, rural landscape.

A couple of hours passed before red streaks bled into the clear, blue sky and then yellow. That blasted color. Shouts and yells blended with the snorts of the horses.

"An unusual abnormal is slowly making its way into the center of the formation, killing soldiers left and right!" A messenger frantically shouted to Erwin.

Squad Leaders Hange Zoe and Mike Zacharias looked at each other nervously. If this did not go well, Erwin's plan could backfire and the Survey Corps would be reduced to nothing. The messenger looked to his commander for the retreat signal.

Instead, Erwin lifted his flare gun, pointed it to the sky, and fired a green flare east. Turning towards his comrades, Erwin Smith spoke for the first time since the expedition started.

"Do not be fazed by this news. Keep your mind on the real reason. Remember what I told you before this mission?"

And with those words, the squad leaders banished all thought of failure. Both of them had to trust Erwin on this. No matter the danger. No matter the risk. No matter the number of casualties, capturing and revealing whomever was in the Female Titan was of vital importance.

He then turned to the confused messenger. "Relay this message to the rest of the formation. Quickly!"

Jerking the reins of their horses, the squad leaders followed the fading dust of their commander's horse.

They entered the Forest soon after. The 80 meter high tree trunks loomed ominously over them, and the branches casted eerie shadows. The foliage above was so thick that it seemed to blot out the sun and suffocate the tiny humans trying to enter into their domain.

"From here, the center of the formation will be the only ones entering the Forest. The rest shall loop around," Erwin quickly ordered, knowing that the message would be passed on swiftly.

They continued to ride into the dark, menacing thicket until the entrance disappeared. The light was only trickles slipping through the many layers of leaves and branches, weaving a thick blanket of a canopy. Finally, Erwin stopped. He dismounted his horse and looked at his apprehensive comrades.

"Now, I am sure my colleagues are wondering what my plan is." They all looked at Erwin curiously. Secretly, he wondered if the plan was going to even work in the first place. "In a few minutes supply carts will be arriving here soon. Inside are the cannons for the Special Target Restraining Weapon. We are setting up the trap for the Female Titan."

"Alright! Now that's what I'm talkin' about, Commander!" Hange whooped loudly, doing a little victory dance and spinning around.

 _Just a few minutes ago, you were doubting my amazing plan._ Erwin silently thought to himself, while rolling his eyes.

"I can't wait to get my hands on this one. I wonder who lies underneath the nape?" She creepily chuckled, her hands rubbing together sinisterly and her glasses glinting. The soldiers who were closest to her moved away quickly, thoroughly freaked out by her behavior. Noticing the reaction, Hange quickly pulled herself together and put on a bright smile, albeit a still slightly creepy one.

The supply carts soon began to roll into view. Erwin gave an order to assemble the trap, and the soldiers quickly obeyed his command. They grabbed the cannons and climbed or used their 3DMG to get to the tops of the trees. The barrels were soon placed on every branch of two tall trees, two soldiers manning each.

Then came the high-pitched sound blast given to Captain Levi Ackerman, signaling the approach of the Special Operations Squad and the Female Titan.

The soldiers tensed for the advancing monster hurling towards them. They held their breaths as Levi's squad thundered passed with the Female Titan close behind. With a yell, Erwin ordered hundreds of bolts to be shot into the Titan causing the colossal being to be stuck right where he wanted it to be. Its hands were clamped tight over the nape like that would stop them from cutting whomever out. Levi zoomed up onto the branch Erwin was on and landed gracefully next to him.

"I'm just impressed you managed to lead her to this spot," Erwin praised the bored looking captain. He was relieved that his prickly comrade was alright, not that Levi needed anymore people worrying about him. He could take care of himself.

"The credit goes to the rear squad members who gave their lives fighting her. They bought us time," Levi curtly responded, his tone remaining indifferent in contrast with his words.

Erwin looked down at Levi with his eyebrows raised. "Is that so?"

"It is."

"Well, thanks to them, we get to see who's inside this one's nape," Erwin responded, nodding in agreement.

Levi scoffed before responding. "Let's just hope that they're not pissing themselves inside there."

Down below, an ecstatic Hange ordered more bolts to be fired at the Titan, taking advantage of its regenerative abilities to weaken it further.

"FIRE!" Hange shouted, waving her arms wildly at the Titan. A dozen more bolts entered the muscular body further entrapping it. Smiling gleefully and cackling like a madwoman, Hange continued her cruel torture.

"How do you like that? Now you can't scratch a single itch or move a single muscle. And you probably never will again! The more your wounds heal, the stiffer your joints become!"

In response, the Female Titan glared at the maniac laughing and dancing at its pain. It's eyes stared daggers at its assailants but, underneath, Erwin could sense the fear. The panic of being the predator trapped like prey. The paralyzing feeling of helplessness.

Looking at Mike and Levi, Erwin nodded, and they proceeded in flying towards the Female Titan. In two quick movements, Levi gracefully struck the Titan's hands, only to find both of his blades shattering and the hands _clearly_ not cut open. Instead, they seemed to have turned into a diamond like substance.

 _Looks like she can overlay parts of her body with a tough layer of skin. A characteristic that closely resembles the so-called Armored Titan._ Erwin mused, his bushy eyebrows furrowing in deep thought.

But as quickly as it formed, the hand returned back to its original state.

 _But unlike the Armored Titan, it seems she can't maintain that toughness. Will she weaken if we keep attacking her with vertical maneuvering gear and swords?_ After pondering on that thought, Erwin finally decided. _There's no time to test it. Therefore..._

"Keiji, prepare explosives. Blow off the targets hands," Erwin said to a soldier.

"Yes, sir! However, there might be a chance that our standard artillery could take out everything on the inside," Keiji explained.

"Then let's attempt to sever the wrists instead," Erwin responded.

"Alright, you heard the Commander. Fire an all-out salvo on my signal!" Keiji shouted to his men.

"Understood, sir!" They responded in unison.

Erwin turned towards the Female Titan only to find a furious Levi yelling insults and threats of he was going to do to the human pilot when he or she was revealed. He was waving his blade around wildly in front of the Titan's eyes. From the outside, it would have made a funny sight. Short Levi vs. the massive, hulking Female Titan. But Erwin knew all too well that the vertically challenged soldier was not bluffing and, from the looks of it, the Female Titan did too.

The Titan was clearly distressed. Well, as distressed as anyone who was on the verge of a painful torture session followed by dissection by a very pissed off and short mosquito. That was expected of anyone who angered an already standoffish and cold Levi Ackerman. That's what Erwin Smith expected of someone who was the cause of Levi's fury. What Erwin was _not_ expecting was the monstrous roar that followed.

In fact, 'roar' was an understatement. The beast screamed. Howled. Yowled. Shrieked. Erwin even swore he heard it yodel. The sound blast rocketed through the forest, surprising quite a few birds and most of the soldiers. It seemed to rock the very trunks of the massive trees, sway the earth, and cause an unearthly rumble from beyond.

Just as Erwin thought the scream was over, a blinding light exploded right in front of him, enveloping him, the Female Titan, Levi, Hange, Mike, and all the veteran soldiers into its folds. Unlike the Female Titan's scream, the light was painful. It sent Erwin's body on fire, burning and clawing its way through him like a savage animal. His limbs and insides were exploding and all he could see was white. Someone screamed in agony around him-no-everyone was screaming. He just didn't realise that he was howling in pain too. Then it stopped.

Erwin was jerked violently, and his sides were crushed in a-what? A snowdrift? Snow? A soft feather landed on his cheek, its coldness tickling him before it melted on Erwin's warm flesh and was replaced by another. Erwin tentatively opened his eyelids, an action that seemed to take all of his energy. All he could see was white and suddenly Erwin was afraid that he was still in that horrible light with his comrades screaming and crying in pain.

"Titan! Titan!"

The cry was so quiet it was almost indiscernible at first but became clearer and clearer as the voice became louder. Out of nowhere, Levi's urgent voice filled Erwin's head.

"Erwin! Commander! We must get out of here. There are-"

The rest was warbled garbage that Erwin didn't bother to listen because he was too tired, too cold, and in too much pain. He felt numb, displaced, detached from reality. It was like he was a different person. At least Levi was back to his normal, cheerful self. God, everything seemed so foggy and confusing. _Wouldn't it be better if I could just sleep? Hehe, then Levi or Hange or Mike would have to take command. Now that would be something worth seeing. Yes, I think I'll just sleep… I'll sleep for an eternity..._

* * *

 **Levi**

"DAMN YOU, ERWIN! DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME! ERWIN!" Levi yelled at the unconscious body in front of him. Growling in frustration, he punched the snow, sending flurries flying everywhere. The wind howled in response but nothing came from the seemingly lifeless Erwin.

Levi's heart thudded loudly; his breath came out in short gasps. An unfamiliar, cold feeling entered his body as he stared at Erwin's body. Erwin couldn't die. He couldn't!

Grunting, Levi hooked his arm around the half buried torse of the falling commander. His half-frozen fingers screaming in protest. Even with gloves, the bitter cold was still able to cut into his hands. As if on cue, the an icy gust blew over the two. Oh, what Levi would have given for a nice fur coat, hat, and thick gloves and boots!

Suddenly, a loud CRACK disrupted Levi. Looking up, his eyes widened and he quickly rolled out of the way as a large, gnarly branch crashed right where Levi was just a few moments ago and dug its frozen, sharp fingers deep into Erwin's right leg.

"ERWIN!" Levi shouted. He dashed towards the trapped body. He fruitlessly tugged at the sharp claws. However, they only seemed to dig deeper into the muscular calf. Blood oozed slowly out of the large punctures.

A dark shadow fell over the wooded area making the enclosed space push in even more. The temperature suddenly dropped, an unholy silence followed. It was as if the wind had died and was replaced by a stillness. The only thing moving was the faint puffs of steam coming from Levi's mouth and the barely noticeable rise and fall of Erwin's chest.

Fear knotted in Levi's chest for the first time in his wretched life. It was pure fear, the type that made grown men break down and start to wail and scream. Even though Levi was not most men, it still took every drop of his willpower to prevent himself from collapsing into a pathetic heap or getting the hell out of this fucked up forest.

He cautiously swiveled his head around. Levi's eyes reported nothing out of place. No Titan was lurking behind the branches. No rabid animal was waiting in the shadows. But he could swear that he saw something in the darkness of the trees. Something evil. Something cold. Deathly cold.

Turning back to Erwin, Levi continued to try to pull out the branch out of Erwin's leg. His heart pattered and punched at his ribcage. His hands shook so bad. He could feel invisible eyes burning holes into his back.

 _Fuck it!_ Unsheathing his vertical maneuver blades, he promptly started to hack into the mangled leg of the Commander. Adrenaline and fear boosted his speed. Blood splashed onto the white snow, giving birth to a thousand scarlet flowers. Levi's blade cut through layers of hard muscle and sinew until he hit bone. An animalistic roar erupted from Levi as he smashed through Erwin's tibia and fibula. More hot blood spewed out of the now amputated leg, spraying the trees, the ground, and Levi with the crimson liquid.

Levi quickly started ripping strips of his shirt and making a hasty tourniquet before dragging the still unconscious Erwin out of the wooded clearing.

He was fully aware of the slowly approaching thuds of Titans. Even in this godforsaken hellhole, those bastards still plagued humanity. Levi's best chance for survival _with_ Erwin was to avoid the Titans and meet up with survivors and find someplace for shelter against the cold.

He fumbled for the pouch beneath his 3DMG. _Where was it?_ Levi's hand brushed against cold metal. _Ah ha!_ He pulled out his flare gun and dug his hand deeper to find a purple colored flare. Levi inserted the ammo and pointed the gun to the sky and fired.

A stream of purple shot to the sky. It broke through the dark treetops and the gray clouds above. Levi scanned the surrounding clouds for any sign that his beacon was seen. But the only thing he saw was a-wait. What?!

A massive wall made entirely out of ice loomed over the forest. It easily topped all three Walls, even if all three were stacked upon each other. A gigantic beast standing proudly at 213 meters. And that was just a rough approximation. _What sort of world have we landed in? What monster must be kept out to build this hulking piece of ice?_

Levi was so deep in thought that he at first didn't even notice the purple flare in the distance. Smirking triumphantly, he breathed a sigh of relief. He and Erwin were not going to die alone in this twisted, haunted forest.

* * *

It took many hours before Levi and Erwin were able to reach the meager few of what was left of the Survey Corps. Out of the 300 that left Karanes, only 67 had survived. The rest were either dead, lost, or left behind. But miraculously, almost every trainee that joined the Survey Corps were here. _Why doesn't this surprise me? I bet those little brats don't realize how many people died saving their sorry little asses._

Levi frowned as a surprisingly grim-looking Hange strode over to him.

"How is he?" He looked up questioningly with a hint of anxiety. Hange responded with only a slight shake over her head.

Levi was worried. Yes, he, Levi Ackerman, Humanity's Strongest, was in a nail-biting fit. Not that he would actually bite his nails. That was absolutely disgusting. But it _felt_ like one of those "nail-biting" situations. Hange's response did not make it any better.

"I fear that if we don't get him the right medicine or back to Wall Rose, Erwin may die. Fever is setting in, and the medics are worried that if we can't stop the infection, then the Commander is going to die. He also isn't waking up."

After a long pause, the Hange continued, "Levi, where the fuck are we? I am pretty sure the Forest of Giant Trees was _not_ snowing and the shadows were not conspiring to kill us. There's something sinister about this place."

"Heh, yeah, you could say that," Levi muttered. "What I'm more worried about is the lack of Titans. They should be roaming around here. 67 is enough for at least one Titan to find us. Something is luring them somewhere else."

Hange looked at Levi, "Hey Levi, have you seen the wall south of here. It's massive. It could top off all three Walls stacked on top of each other."

Glaring at Hange, Levi said between clenched teeth, "Yes, Shitty Glasses. Of course I saw the big ass wall looming over us. And where are we?"

Levi gestured to the dilapidated "village" behind him. It was quite filthy, and only had four small huts built around a sheepfold and a dry well.

Ignoring Levi's annoyance, Hange cheerfully answered, "Well, it seems to be an abandoned village built by the natives. What's most interesting about this village is that." She pointed to the overgrown white tree above the village.

It's large trunk towered over the settlement. It was at least eight feet in diameter and had branches that reached for miles. So much that they trapped the village beneath its canopy. Its blood red leaves contrasted against the smooth white bark. But what was most startling about it was the gruesome face carved into the trunk.

It had a bloody, jagged mouth large enough to swallow a sheep whole. Ashes and red sap painted the walls of the hollow, and the remains of what looked like human bones were slowly rotting inside. Even the trees here had an evil intent.

"What the fuck," Levi breathed out softly.

"Haha! I know. This place is full of surprises!" Hange smiled back at him. "Well, I'm gonna check up on Erwin. If the medic says that the Commander is stable enough for travel, Mike and I are planning to lead the survivors south towards the Wall. We might stumble upon some people and actually get a hold of where we are and how we can get back to Wall Rose. Anyways, see ya."

"Yeah, bye," Levi looked back at her retreating form. _Shit!_ He forgot to ask her about something. Even after being so closed to being revealed, the Female Titan still eluded them. She was probably the reason why they were in this godforsaken place.

Shivering, he started to head towards the small clearing where the survivors had set up the tents. Soldiers glumly nodded at him as he walked past. Fierce yelling attracted Levi's attention. He turned around a corner to find the Jaeger brat gesturing wildly with wide fearful eyes to his blonde haired friend, Arlert.

"What seems to be the matter here?" Levi interrupted the boys' conversation.

"Please, sir. M-my sister, Mikasa Ackerman, sh-she's gone. I fear that she may be dead. I would like to go back into the woods to look for her. Please, Captain Levi," the boy begged with tearful eyes.

"Eren, I'm worried about Mikasa too, but you need to think rationally. A lot of soldiers died or got lost. And it's already dark. You're only going to endanger yourself! It's too dangerous," Armin cried out, tugging on the green-eyed teen's sleeve.

Sighing, Levi responded, "I agree with Arlert. Many people died today. Wait until tomorrow to look for her. Everyone has had a traumatizing day. Rest up. If we can, we'll send out squads to search for others. Otherwise, tomorrow we are heading south."

Levi turned to leave the to stunned boys but paused. "There is also a chance that she wasn't in the range of the blast and escaped. Mikasa could also be dead. There are other things out here than just trees, wild animals, and Titans." With that, he strode away, leaving Eren and Armin even more anxious than before.

 _Mikasa Ackerman. Top of her class. A prodigy. What a shame to lose her._ Levi thought as he stared at the fire. The flames danced and crackled under the moonlight. They created flickering shadows over Levi's face. _Mikasa Ackerman. Reiner Braun. Bertolt Hoover. Those three are the only recruits missing. Why could that be? Hmph, maybe I'm thinking this over way too much. But still… So many questions. No answers. I just hope that something good can come out this._

Levi shook his head to clear his mind. Why was he so confused? He looked up at the sky. Thousands of stars stared back down at him. He chuckled bitterly. How could a place like this be so beautiful yet terrifying?

* * *

 **A/N: Please review! Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2: Hope in the Woods

**A/N: I really have no excuses for taking this long. Thank you everyone who is actually still following this. Have some Internet cookies and enjoy this unedited, terrible, horrible, no good, very bad chapter. This may be the last time I update, so I don't even know why I'm posting this. Probably because every time I get an email saying that I got a new follower I feel guilty. Alright, on with this shitty chapter. Warning: I didn't even try to keep everyone in character. Sorry.**

* * *

Chapter 2: Hope in the Woods

* * *

 **Jon**

It had been several days since he and Sam had swore their oaths before the grove of heart trees. Even though he was now a man of the Night's Watch, Jon didn't feel like one. In fact, everything felt wrong. Something on that day had entered the Haunted Forest. Something as evil and sinister as the Others from Old Nan's stories.

Jon re-lived that day as if it was still fresh in his mind. He and Sam had taken their oaths, and Jon never felt prouder in his small, worthless life. But that feeling was quickly replaced with dread. Ghost had found a dead man's hand. At first, it seemed like nothing. A wildling died, and Ghost had found the corpse. However, as the small group started to head back to Castle Black, a powerful rush of air swept over them followed by a bright light.

Suddenly, Ghost froze, growling at the darkening wood. Nothing Jon had said was able to move the direwolf from his position. Bowen Marsh, the Lord Steward, had finally told Jon to leave Ghost behind. Reluctantly, Jon had obeyed, but he couldn't help looking over his shoulder every few minutes to see if his wolf would follow. Still, the white beast stood his ground, watching for something. And that something worried Jon.

(That worry grew after the dead rose and attacked the Lord Commander.)

After a few days, the direwolf eventually went back to Castle Black. However, Ghost was still on an edge. He would spend hours staring at the Wall and growling at anyone who approached him. Sam, whom Ghost was normally very friendly with, was repeatedly snapped at, much to the fat boy's horror. The Old Bear finally had enough when the direwolf wouldn't even let Wall sentries change shifts or rangers go through the Wall. He told Jon that the beast had to be locked up or else the Night's Watch could not do its duty.

Jon was mortified when this happened as Ghost normally kept to himself and rarely bit or attacked anyone in Jon's presence. He was sad to have the wolf be chained in the abandoned stables. He could hear Ghost's mournful howls every night, filling him with regret and guilt.

Tonight, though, the great wolf was silent. In fact, all was quiet. Not a sound could be heard from the Haunted Forest or Castle Black. It was eerie. The dark shadows in the Haunted Forest silently creeping about, the black ice of the Wall, and the gray clouds forming above.

Jon shivered and he bundled his cloak a little closer. He squinted in the darkness, searching desperately for his uncle from his high perch on the Wall. Jon refused to believe that the First Ranger was dead, but everyday that passed seem to make the odds of Benjen Stark returning smaller and smaller. He sighed and continued to walk the icy path of the Wall.

Jon thought he had imagined it when he first heard it. It was just a faint rumble in the distance. He had passed it off as ice falling off of the Wall as the Wall usually did in summer. However, the steady BOOM BOOM BOOM became louder and louder as the source of the sound approached the Wall. Jon narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the peculiar noise.

A massive mound of steaming flesh bursted out of the foliage, sprinting and waving its arms like a mad person. It was completely naked. Although it was lacking genitals, Jon could clearly see that it was male.

At first, Jon couldn't believe what he saw. It was one those absurd and surreal moments in your life that you just couldn't believe that it was real. After rubbing his eyes and pinching himself hard, Jon looked below to find himself staring at two large luminous eyes. It stared hungrily at him, and its unnaturally wide, toothy grin salivated. The human and the Titan stood mesmerized at each other.

With a thunderous roar, it shot its steaming hand up towards Jon's head. He gave a yelp of shock and scrambled back from the edge, slipping and skidding on the ice. Breathing hard, Jon froze, waiting for the moment where the beast's face would peer over the Wall. However, that moment never came.

Crawling back to his feet and feeling very foolish, Jon forgot for a moment in his fear that the monster was several hundred feet below him and could do no harm. Still, it was a bit daunting that this massive, mindless creature wanted to kill him.

Looking over the edge of the Wall, Jon saw that the giant was scratching the icy surface as if it were trying to climb up. It was doing quite a poor job of it as well, flailing its arms around trying to get somewhere. If Jon wasn't so terrified, he would have laughed at the sight. Jon stared at the Titan trying to climb. Suddenly, more crashing came from the forest.

Jon looked up in fear. Seven more giants stumbled through the dark trees. They smiled and raised their large hands to grab him. Each booming step sent a jolt through Jon's heart. He stumbled back and hastily searched for his horn. Should I do this? What should I do? This has never happened before... Taking a deep breath, Jon brought it to his lips and blew four, long, clear blasts.

The deep, resounding blows echoed and bounced and floated through the area. After glancing quickly at the unaffected giants, Jon ran as fast as his legs could carry him to the winch guard. He had to warn Ser Jaremy, the Lord Commander, somebody!

"Oi! Snow! What happened?" A disgruntled crow looked up from his game of dice.

"Giants! Massive… giants… huff… came out of… nowhere!" Jon panted, his breath coming out in puffs. His heart hammered in his chest after sprinting two miles. His adrenaline was running high and blood was pumping erratically beneath his sweaty skin.

The guard just stared at him incredulously.

"Giants, ya say? Giants! HA HA HA!" He bellowed in disbelief. "M'lord Snow, here, says that giants attacked him! Seven hells!"

"You don't believe me, do you? You don't believe me at all. I saw them come out of the forest. I saw them try to eat me. You must warn Lord Commander Mormont!" Jon sternly yelled, trying to persuade the guard.

"Hey, now, let's be serious here. Why'd you blow the horn four times? Saw some wildlings and got scared? Did you piss your breeches? You forget that it's only supposed to be two blows?" The man barked backed to him with a mocking smile. The yellow of his teeth appeared as the smile stretched. His greasy hair hung over his gaunt face.

Jon glared at the so-called "Man of the Night's Watch". "What else did you think I should have done?" he coldly said. "I saw a threat to the realm, and I did what I was instructed to do. I blew my horn. Yes, it was not something that has happened in the history of the Night's Watch. But what I saw out there was nothing the Night's Watch has ever encountered before. I must speak with the Lord Commander!"

"Alright! Alright! I'll take you down. Just don't come back to me cryin'!" The guard threw up his hands in defense. He was too tired and cold to care if the green boy was telling the truth.

With a curt nod and a glare, Jon hurried into the cage and shivered as he slowly approached the ground.

The crimson rays of the morning dawn peeked through the dark shadow of the night. Castle Black woke up as torches were lit and the sounds of life beginning to stir. Groggy men hustled to their tasks, preparing for a new day, blissfully unaware of the threat on the other side of the Wall.

Jon shakily stepped out of the lift and was immediately bombarded by his comrades. Grenn, Pyp, Sam, Dolorous Edd, and all of his Brothers crowded around him with worried expressions and prying questions.

"Jon! What happened? Why was the horn blown four times?"

"Tell us!"

"Jon!"

"Jon!"

Whatever rush he had been feeling was gone, and all he felt was the cold, empty feeling of despair. And his mind blanked. Steady pants echoed in his ears. Gleaming eyes stared hungrily. Steam rose off the naked body in gentle waves and puffs. But the mouth. The saliva. The teeth. That pink, pink, pink mouth. Horrible. Disgusting. Terrifying.

Those hands slowly reaching for him. His body carefully snatched from his icy perch and tightly squeezed until his breath was pushed out of his lungs. His fists and kicks were fruitless against the sheer strength and power of the mindless beast. His head slowly entered that wet, hot, red, red, red hole. BLAM! Sharp incisors slammed onto his skull. Purple and red and grey brain matter splattered into the air. Red blood. Red blood. Red blood. Dead. Dead. Deaddeadead.

You're a goner.

"GAH!" A grunt of pain emitted Jon's lips as he stumbled onto the cold hard ground, flattened by the hundreds of men walking to and fro on it. He gasped for air as he tried to shake the violent vision from his mind. All he could think of was how real and terrifying it was, like a poisoned daydream.

"Jon! Are you alright?" The frantic voice of Sam brought him back from that disturbing vision.

Coughing and dusting off his cloak, Jon stood up on shaky legs and smiled softly that the wide eyes boy.

"Yes, I am fine. Just a little woozy from running in such thin air," Jon lied, giving Sam a reassuring smirk. "I must see the Lord Commander at once."

With that, Jon sped away from his dumbstruck friend, a pool of guilt and shame growing. His father disapproved of liars and deceivers, instilling that mentality on all his children. Jon hated lying to his friend, but he himself didn't really know what was happening to him. All he could do was tell the Lord Commander of the giants.

This vision was surely only the result of fatigue and an overactive imagination. There certainly wasn't anything wrong with him at all.

* * *

 **Sam**

Sam watched with worry and concern as his fellow brother and best friend hurried off to the Lord Commander's tower, dismissive and wary. He did not expect to see his normally calm and stoic friend so shaken and scared. Sam could see he was hiding something. Sam knew because Jon was a terrible liar, and he knew that Jon's outburst was more than just a lapse in strength.

Walking back to the castle, Sam tried to shake the unease, but he couldn't seem to stop staring at the Wall in fear. It looked no different than it did yesterday and the day before that. Perhaps it was what was behind it. Wildlings and wights and a matter of other grumpkins and snarks.

The rest of Sam's day was normal as usual. He took care of the ravens and did some jobs for Maester Aemon, but Jon was never mentioned. In fact, the old maester would not speak of what Jon told the Lord Commander, only kindly changing the subject when Sam got too nosy.

However, right after the midday meal, the Lord Commander assembled a group rangers, including Jon, to go beyond the Wall. It seemed to the rest of the Night's Watch that it was just a simple ranging or patrol, but Sam had a feeling that the true purpose of the mission was to find whatever Jon saw last night. He watched the men as they mounted their garrons and passed through the gate, entering the tunnel that led to the other side.

Filled with a sudden curiosity and did he dare say bravery, Sam lumbered over to the large cage, closed the door, and tugged on the chain. The cage creaked before slowly leaving the ground. Traces of the ranging became tinier and tinier until the horses and men looked like small black specks. After a while, the height became nauseating, and Sam had to look away, lest becoming sick. He stared at the cold, blinding morning sun and thought of all the possible things that could have scared Jon so much.

It wouldn't have been wildlings because Sam knew he overheard some men talk about four horn blows. Everyone knew that two horn blows were for wildlings, but there was no such thing as four horn blows. Even three had never been used before. Maybe ghouls and demons did exist beyond the Wall. Maybe that was what Jon saw. And that terrified Sam.

The cage stopped with a jolt, and Sam tottered out on unsteady legs, pulling his cloak closer as the harsh wind roared in his ears. Sam could barely make out the black dots of the ranging group as they entered the Haunted Forest. For another 15 minutes, nothing happened. There was only the howl of the wind, Sam, and the Wall.

But then, Sam saw something. It was barely visible from this height, but Sam could swear he saw trees collapsing, falling left and right, as if giants were sprinting through the forest

* * *

 **Jon**

It happened so fast. No one saw it coming.

They started off the ranging at a slow, steady pace, as if the horses were dragging their hooves in reluctance. The men just shivered on the backs of the animals, and sleepy eyes lazily scanned the dark forest around them, not caring if they actually saw or not.

Jon was the only one alert. His hands trembled and shook, and his eyes ran wild, circling and spinning around his sockets. Every sensation was a hundred times stronger. The snow falling in his eyes. The biting wind clawing at his face. The sharp snorts of the horses.

Then he heard it.

It was the same steady thudding as the one last night. Rhythmic and ground shaking. Pounding in sync with Jon's heartbeat, he remembered. The hot breath. The glazed eyes.

Gasping, Jon opened his mouth to warn the the others, only to see a pair of glowing yellow eyes meet his. A hand slammed down next him, barely missing his horse by a few inches. Jon's horse reared up in terror and neighed out loud, sprinting away from the emerging giant. Jon yanked on the reins, gritting his teeth as he tried to control the panicking horse. Grunting with effort, he swung his reluctant horse around and galloped to where he hoped the Night's Watch was valiantly fighting off the giants.

What he saw was chaos. Men and horses were screaming as a horde of giants descended upon them. Colossal hands and feet stamped and grabbed the fleeing men. Prayers to unanswering gods and the metallic tang of blood filled the air.

A group of men were cornering a giant, slashing at its ankles and hands with their swords but unsuccessfully creating any sort of harm. Jon watched in horror as a massive hand scooped up a man straight from his horse and squeezed the body; an ugly squelching sound and an unholy shriek came from the hulking fist. Blood dripped down the hand before the giant shoved it into its mouth. Bile pooled in Jon's mouth, and he looked away only to come face to face with the Old Bear.

The once gruff but proud Lord Commander laid gasping on the ground. The faint puffs of breath were the only signs of life. His blood soaked into the ground, staining the white snow with crimson. But what really made Jon choke back the vomit creeping up his throat was that only the top half of Jeor Mormont remained. A dark jumble of intestines and viscera trailed behind the man because his legs had been completely torn off. Jon stumbled off the horse and ran to where the dying Mormont was. By the time Jon reached him, the puffs of steam stopped and a chill fell upon Jon.

Jon stared down at the corpse of the man who entrusted to him Longclaw. A sense of calm filled Jon as gloved fingers curled around the pommel of said sword. With a renewed strength, Jon unsheathed the Valyrian steel and mounted his horse again, charging into the fray.

Jon stabbed and hacked at any piece of steaming flesh he saw. Everytime Longclaw made a satisfying thunk, Jon's heart beated a bit faster, his swings stronger. But the giants kept coming. Growling in frustration, Jon faced another giant looming ominously over him, but before either could act, a hand slammed into the side of Jon and threw him into a tree. A piercing pain followed a sickening crack as Jon slid down from the trunk. Wincing, Jon struggled to get up only to fall back down as a pulsing pain came from his ribs. He scrabbled in the snow for his sword as the steady thudding came closer and closer. Jon glared up at the giant with every ounce of hatred and horror he felt since this expedition began. But he could do nothing as the man eating monster trapped him into a tree.

Just as Jon thought he would soon see the Stranger, battle cries and a strange swooshing sound broke through the screams of the dying. The giant that was cornering him fell down with a boom next to him; its nape was sliced cleanly down the center.

Jon looked up in shock at his savior, a man with an unusual metal contraption around his hips and an even stranger sigil emblazoned onto his doublet, wielding shockingly thin twin blades. The man was small and slim with dark hair and piercing blue almost gray eyes and poorly dressed for the frigid weather this far north.

Jon opened his mouth to speak but the man was gone as fast as he arrived. He flew up into the trees on thin, barely visible ropes, swishing up into the air like a graceful eagle or falcon. Jon watched amazed. He never imagined any man being able to fly much less being able to kill the seemingly invincible giants. But the sense of hope grew as more and more of the flying men came out of the dark woods, slaying giants left and right.

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 **A/N: Omg. The ending is so rushed. I'm sorry I couldn't make this chapter any better but I was desperate to finish this chapter before the year ended. Oh well. Please review and fav/follow. They may guilt trip me into writing the next chapter...**


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